So, the 5 year vacation in Okinawa is coming to an end. Chris the Marine has to do a "B" Billet, (a MOS other than what he trained for). For the Marines that means DI at Paris Island, Embassy Duty station or, Recruiting.

Chris got recruiting.

So, he's been in California for the last few weeks getting trained to sell horse shit to teen agers encourage impressional youth to serve their country.

Now this means they will move back stateside and we all have been on pins and needles as to where they would end up. Chris requested the South East US to be close to family.

Of course it's the Military and all so, they ended up outside Boston possibly for the next 3 years. Not a bad place but, further away than anyone wanted.

The W/G is heartbroken over this. While they will be in the US and a pretty easy plan ride from ATL to Boston, she wants the grandkids close.

Tonight, I'm making sure her wine glass is never dry, giving her space and there for her when she needs to cry.

On the plus side, recruiters get additional pay, and I bet the cost of living allowance in that area is schweet. If they can find the right area, I bet they can have a comfortable life up there. Some people fall right into the recruiting thing, so maybe he'll wind up liking it and being good at it.

Does he have the rank to get promoted out? They have recruiting billets up to E-7 (and even have a few E-8 billets).

I think he's an E-7 and looking to get promoted to E-8 in the next year or so - I think. That's why they threw him into recruiting so fast. He wanted embassy duty but, recruiting is better than being a DI from what I understand. If he had been a DI, that would have been nice since Paris Island is only a few hours from here. He tried to get embassy duty for Japan since they were already there. He almost got it but, got bumped at the last minute..

On the plus side, recruiters get additional pay, and I bet the cost of living allowance in that area is schweet. If they can find the right area, I bet they can have a comfortable life up there. Some people fall right into the recruiting thing, so maybe he'll wind up liking it and being good at it.

He might do well. He's a total people person. He will do the best he can in that situation.

I heard their housing allowance will be in the 3 grand a month range. I have a work friend whose parents own some apartments up that way. I can see if they make a connection. 3 Grand a month in Boston won't be much...

What's hard about it? Seems like a normal work-a-day, soul-sucking job like the rest of us have.

Recruiters have lots of odd hours since their clientele are usually high school kids so, meetings with parents/kids after school and weekends. There's lots of stress involved since he will have a quota to fill and in that area, with this economy, it's going to be a hard sell. He's competing with colleges and fairly wealthy demographic up there, from what I've read.

Recruiters have lots of odd hours since their clientele are usually high school kids so, meetings with parents/kids after school and weekends. There's lots of stress involved since he will have a quota to fill and in that area, with this economy, it's going to be a hard sell. He's competing with colleges and fairly wealthy demographic up there, from what I've read.

What happens if he doesn't meet quota? They can't fire him from the Marines, right?

There are a few Brew Brothers from Massachusetts, but none around that area. south of I-95. Cavman, Jkor and I are all 30 to 60 minutes north of Westwood.

Westwood is an average-to-nice suburb, 30 to 60 minutes from downtown Boston depending on traffic. Boston kind of has inner suburbs within I-95 (kind of a ring road around Boston, except that due to the Atlantic ocean it doesn't make a full circle), and outer suburbs outside of I-95. Westwood is pretty much straddling I-95.

My friend in the Marines worked more hours while doing recruiting than he did at any other duty station. He saw his family less than at any other non-deployed duty station. Then he had more paperwork when he got home.

in an area outside of boston I would think $3K/month wouldn't be too bad for paying rent. around 2005 I had a 900 sq-ft apartment with multiple driveway parking spaces near the museum of science for about $1300/month. I'm sure prices have gone up but hopefully not more than 2x! this place def would have been big enough for a 2 adults and one kid situation.